NEWS

Government Shutdown May Cause Port Inspection Delays

October 4, 2013 |Certain federal agencies working in collaboration with the toy industry will be impacted by the U.S. government shutdown, which went into effect on October 1st.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Office of Import Surveillance field staff has been furloughed, resulting in a delay in any shipments that were being investigated or targeted for investigation prior to the shutdown. The CPSC is largely closed with less than 5% of its staff (22 of 540 employees) currently on duty; that number could vary slightly due to the emergence or lack of imminent safety threats. CPSC will only pursue recall activities relating to an imminent threat to consumer safety.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Port of Entry Operations will remain unaffected, because they have been deemed “law enforcement necessary or necessary for the safety of life and protection of property.” This includes CBP Cargo Security and Revenue Collections, Border Patrol and CBP Air and Marine Operations.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) issued a Legislative Bulletin earlier today to assist members who might be experiencing delays at the ports.TIA will provide members with updates as other impacts become known. For more information, contact TIA’s Rebecca Mond, director of federal affairs (202.459.0352).